A Bloody Star
by rhosinthorn
Summary: Set in the Strength of Spirit timeline, this one-shot covers events after Chapter 8 and during Chapter 9. This is Loke's point of view on Lucy's decisions. Slight spoilers for both chapters, and you definitely should read SoS first, or this will not make sense!


*****Hi everyone! Here's the Loke one-shot I promised! It takes place after two chapters: Chapter 8 and Chapter 25. When I wrote 8, I knew that someday I would write this, and after 25...I nearly cried when I put this together. So enjoy!*****

**A Bloody Star**

"_As you wish_," he said, closing his gate. The last glimpse of Earth that he got was the tear filled brown eyes, and he knew that look would haunt him for a long time.

Everyone was waiting for him as he returned to the Celestial Realm, anticipation on their faces. He knew that they hadn't watched what had transpired; spirits usually respected private conversations with their masters. If they had watched, they wouldn't be looking at him with those faces.

He saw their expressions change instantly when he returned, from anticipation to horror, and he wondered if they could read it in his face. Carefully Virgo approached him, as if he might shatter if she moved too quickly. "Brother?" she whispered. "Why is Princess's blood on your hands?"

Reaching up, he realized that there was blood on his hand. It had come off her hand when she slapped him away for trying to comfort her. The realization was the last straw. Falling to his knees, he roared at the stars above them, clenching his bloody hands into fists. He had vowed to protect her with his life, but he had only succeeded in hurting her. Was he destined to always hurt his masters?

Most of the other spirits had scattered when he roared, but Virgo remained. "Brother," she murmured, taking his clenched fist. "What happened?"

"She told me if I appeared without being summoned, she would break our contract," he whispered brokenly, feeling the tears begin to come. "She wouldn't let me comfort her."

Virgo's eyes widened in shock, and she pulled him closer. "Oh brother," she murmured. "What are we going to do?"

"Nothing," he choked. "We can do nothing for her if she makes that threat to me. She knows how much this means to me, but she still made the threat. Who can say if she would hesitate before breaking someone else's contract? No, we must sit and wait and pray that nothing happens to her."

"Why was she bleeding?" Virgo asked as he cried into her shoulder. "Did she hurt herself?"

"She cut herself on my key," Aquarius said, appearing next to them. "I can still feel the blood.

"Why did you have to tell her about summoning him?" Loke cried, turning on the mermaid. "She's doing all this because she didn't want to sacrifice you!"

"We didn't have a _choice_!" Aquarius snapped. "Do you think that I planned this? It was either summon him or let her die. Above all else, I would have her live, even if it meant that I would remain here for the rest of time. Even though it wouldn't be our fault, I would rather become a fallen star because I tried and failed than just stand by and let her die because I didn't tell her the one thing that might save her life."

"She _saved_ me from being a fallen star," Loke murmured distractedly. "I can't just sit here and watch her, but I can't risk losing her for good."

"Then what are you going to do?" Aquarius taunted. "Sit here and cry?"

"You go too far," he said lowly, rising to face the mermaid. "You know the impossible choice I have to make."

"My own choice wasn't easy," she shouted at him. "I will never leave this realm again! I've known that girl since she was a brat, and I was bound to her line. Now I will never be able to help her. So don't you moan to me about having to watch without being able to interfere, because I chose that when I told her how to save her friends. I would do it again if I could, because it would mean she would live!"

"I know!" he shouted back. "That doesn't mean that it's easy for me to choose to sit here and watch her potentially destroy herself."

"You do what you have to," the mermaid said, moving away. "I have made my choice. Now you must make yours."

Virgo tugged at his sleeve. "Brother, let's wash the blood off…"

"I hate her!" he screamed, tears rolling down his face. "I hate her for making me choose!"

* * *

Loke sat vigil at the window that showed him her every day since the day she last summoned him. He saw each day that she overexerted in training, each time she pushed herself beyond her limits, and the wound in his heart got even deeper. When she collapsed after casting Urano Metria, he nearly broke his own orders and appeared at her side. But the familiar blonde figure of Laxus appeared, with Mavis next to him, and they took her to Porlyusica, saving him from potentially making the biggest mistake of his life.

When she caught the attention of the Spirit King, he thought about going to see her like Aquarius did, but anger and guilt churned uncomfortably in his stomach. He had trusted her so completely, and she had shut him out with the worst threat that she could have uttered. So when the summons came, he remained with the mermaid, who he saw hiding quiet tears when she realized that Lucy had placed the remains of her keys among the others she was summoning, as if it was still unbroken.

Virgo came to him upon her return. "She was sad not to see you."

"I promised I wouldn't come until called," he growled, waiting for the familiar tug of the summoning. "I keep my promises."

"What are you going to say?" Virgo asked, resting her hand on his arm.

"Nothing," he said. "I will be Leo, her loyal lion."

"That will hurt her even more," the maid spirit said. "She honestly regrets everything she said between the two of you. I could feel it in her summons. While she missed all of us, she missed you the most."

"I don't care," he said lowly. "It hurt too much for me to forgive her right now."

"Will you dissolve your contract then?" Virgo asked.

"No," he whispered, turning so that she could see the pain in his eyes. "I care too much about her for that. I would follow her into the pits of hell right now, and that will never change. But it still hurts, and if there's one thing I learned from my time in that world, only time heals hurts like this."

"You must decide for yourself then," she said quietly. "But you two are bonded in a way no other spirit and summoner have ever been. She will know how much you are hurting and feel it herself."

"I know," he said softly, feeling the tug of the summons. "But I can't help the way I feel."

"Just be honest with her," Virgo called as he disappeared. "She will respect that."

"I will try."


End file.
